BJD to continue fight for farmers’ rights: Naveen

New Delhi: Addressing the Krushak Adhikar Samavesh in New Delhi today, BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that his party will continue its fight for farmers’ rights.

Joining thousands of workers and party leaders of Biju Janata Dal in the stir against Centre, Patnaik came down heavily on the BJP government at the Centre accusing it of lackadaisical attitude towards Odisha and its farmers.

Starting his speech with ‘Jai Jagannath’, the Odisha CM said that he had requested the Centre to increase the minimum support price (MSP) of the paddy.

“The members of Odisha Assembly House Committee had also tried to meet the officials concerned of the central government, but in vain. We were forced to come to Delhi after the Centre ignored our request,” the chief minister said while addressing the huge gathering at the Talkatora Stadium here.

The chief minister also accused the BJP of forgetting the promises it made to the people of Odisha in the 2014 election manifesto. “It is the responsibilities of the Centre to fixed the MSP of paddy and implement the recommendation of the Swaminathan Committee,” Patnaik said.

“The farmers are the soul of Indian economy. To ensure the better livelihood of the farmers, the Odisha government has launched KALIA scheme,” Patnaik pointed out.

“We have announced a very progressive program for farmers called KALIA. This will provide financial aid to 92 percent of our farmers. And not only to small and marginal farmers but also to sharecroppers and landless people,” the Odisha CM said, adding that the program will cost more than 10, 000 crore rupees and will be spent over a period of approved three years.

“We have promised to irrigate 10 lakh hectares in last five years. We have almost completed that. And in the last four and a half years, we have spent 30 thousand crores for agriculture. You can see, we make promises and we keep promises,” BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said.

“If the Centre had given us financial autonomy, we wouldn’t have come here. We are fighting for the rights of farmers and will continue to do so,” Patnaik concluded.